Soho Housing’s Andy McWilliams explains why housing associations should be viewing residents as customers
The current climate for social and affordable housing providers is interesting to say the least. There are some signs that legislation is at last pushing in the right direction, aiming to strip back regulatory red tape to help people access homes they might not otherwise be able to.
The revised National Planning Policy Framework, for example, lays out how the government plans on breaking the ‘planning paralysis’ that we’re seeing in the current market. Burnham’s promises to deliver the largest social housing push since the post-war period suggest that affordable homes are finally edging their way onto the legislative agenda.
However, as conversations arise about meeting quotas, targets and measures of success, aiming to put ‘X’ amount of people in social housing by a certain date in the distant future, it must not be forgotten that ultimately, residents are not just numbers on a spreadsheet. They should instead be treated as customers, afforded the same courtesy as they would be treated if they were frequenting a restaurant, shop or hotel.
Whilst acknowledging that quantitative data on occupation and satisfaction within social housing is an important tool, we need to ensure that customer/resident wants and needs are kept at the heart of operations.
Boots on the ground
One way in which this can be successfully achieved is by prioritising enough of the association’s budget into personal connection between customers and providers. Ensuring that housing officers have a finger on the pulse when it comes to the everyday operations of their sites means that resident satisfaction will remain paramount.
To achieve this, it’s vital that housing officers are given the opportunity to spend time with the residents in their care, whether that’s via regular visits to the property, or by drop-in sessions at which residents can speak directly with them. Increasing staff engagement with residents at all levels – whether that’s in a general or more specialist capacity – helps to build stronger bonds between residents and the association, fostering a broader sense of community.
It shouldn’t ring true that residents only get in touch with their housing associations to report an issue. They should instead feel like they can have open communication with their board, housing officers and operations staff whenever they need, or want to. We shouldn’t underestimate the value of seeing a friendly face, and giving residents greater access to staff on a more regular basis goes a long way to improving their overall perception of the services they receive.
In my experience, implementing such changes consistently brings positive results for association-resident relations – reassuring residents that they’re being heard and strengthening the trust between staff and residents both serve to ensure a tight-knit community that works together to achieve the association’s overall goals.
Direct engagement
Beyond ensuring that housing officers and residents maintain regular contact, it’s vital that residents feel not just that their voices are heard, but that they are also taken into account and valued. Just as customer feedback is a crucial part of improvement for businesses in private industries, so Housing Associations should also make sure that resident views are incorporated into future planning.
While a conversation with a housing officer on a property visit might well be the first point of contact for a resident who wants to share their views, it’s important to offer further forums through which residents can make their thoughts heard. Whether taking the form of consultations, resident planning meetings, or a resident hub (as we’re planning to set up), it’s crucial that every step is taken to place the resident experience at the heart of operations.
Of course, it’s not enough for such events to be one-off or reactionary, instead associations should work hard to incorporate resident engagement directly into day-to-day operations. For instance, electing resident members directly to the association’s board, as we have done recently at Soho Housing, ensures that their lived experience can inform governance and strategy decisions at the highest level.
After all, for an organisation committed to taking resident feeling into account, it doesn’t get much stronger than having those voices help shape and influence board decisions directly.
Working together
Together, greater staff-resident interaction and increased resident engagement in decision-making both touch on a further role of housing associations, which is as a focal point for the community. This is particularly the case for smaller, more community-focused associations, rather than the larger, merged conglomerates that are increasingly dominating the social housing market.
This is where smaller, independent, more community-minded associations can find their niche. For a smaller association already in a vibrant community, as we are in Soho, associations must also be mindful of their role as leaders and defenders of their neighbourhoods. With residents, staff, and leadership all pulling in the same direction – fuelled by heightened resident engagement – it’s remarkable how integrated associations can be in the local community.
Is AI the next frontier of social housing?
There is strength in the argument for integration of AI-led platforms and data collection services within social housing associations. Digital transformation is seemingly everywhere we look; so, it’s inevitable that social and affordable housing will also see this pattern. However, it cannot be in lieu of human interaction.
On a national scale, industry bodies are looking at ways for associations and ALMOs to implement a standardised regulatory framework for data and AI usage, to ensure that the technology is used for administrative tasks that improve operational efficiency for customers.
Forging ahead
Ultimately, while increased use of technology and digitisation to increase residents’ ability to access services is certainly useful, it’s by no means the only way that associations can improve things for residents. As discussed, even something as simple as increased visits from housing officers can help to reassure residents that their thoughts are respected and valued.
It’s this ‘customer first’ mindset that associations must adopt. While ‘the customer is always right’ may sound like a tired old cliché, it really is a mantra that can help associations to improve the services they offer residents. Whether implemented in these ways or others, bringing this mindset firmly into day-to-day operations and working hard to place residents’ lived experience at the heart of strategy must be a top priority for associations moving forward.
Main image: Andy McWilliams is chair of the board at Soho Housing Association
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